Tuesday, April 28, 2015

CIY: Mushroom Pate



I try to not be a food blog in the traditional sense where the pictures are Pintrestable or Foodgawker worthy, IMO, of course. You know the norm core food blog. I'm actually pretty terrible at making pictures look pretty and appetizing.  When it comes to cooking it's almost always improv or as I like to call it, WTF is in your refrigerator/grocery store/farmers market cooking. The combination of these two makes for not food blogger material.  I feel that the good food bloggers posts are well planned, crafted, and executed to create great content.  Sometimes I feel like I am grasping for content or that I'm not that great of a writer and can't translate what I really want to say into words.  But then I tell myself, Listen you're pretty new at this.  Yeah you've had personal blogs since like the beginning of the internet but that was then this is now.  Take more pictures and just be your-fucking-self! Girl, you love food, so Channel Stewart Smiley and perk up!

One thing I do know, is how to cook.  Right about now it is what is keeping me somewhat sane.  I have a few weekend cooking projects in store and a few parties to be planing so I am keeping busy.   Yes, party planning!  

Mushroom pate, to me is luxurious. It's like the Janet Jackson nip slip in my cooking repertoire. It's a simple show stopper. You don't know what to think about it at first but then you're like, "Oh dang this just happened." This just happens in your mouth and not with your eyes. I made this and herb crackers for my brother and his fiancee Jen's engagement party. It was so fun! Hooray for new family! 

Here it is my attempt at norm core food blog. 

Cook it Yourself Mushroom Pate - Makes about three 4oz mason jars.


*1 1/2 lbs of a combination of shiitake, button and crimini mushrooms +see footnote! 
*3 cloves of garlic
*1 kinda big shallot or a half of a onion to make about a cup of onions
*handful of parsley, stems and leaves separated 
*2-3 sprigs of thyme, woody stems removed
*4 tb butter divided in half
*2 tb olive oil, I used grapeseed
*a good glug of white wine, I always use good ole Charles Shaw for cooking/getting turnt 
*about 1/3 cup of pecorino romano, because parmigiano reggiano is too fancy for my budget, but if it's what you got, then use it!
*1/3 cup of goat cheese, I used a honey goat cheese.

Heat 2 tb of butter with the oil on medium low add shallot, garlic, parsley stems and thyme. Cook stirring occasionally till softened.  About 5-8 minutes.  

Turn heat to medium high and add glug of white wine. Reduce to more than half.

Reduce heat to medium, add mushrooms and 2tb of butter. Stir occasionally for 15-18 minutes.  Mushrooms should be soft. Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a food processor, add pecorino romano and the parsley leaves and pulse till leaves and cheese are combined.  Season if needed.

Add cooked mushrooms to the processor and add the goat cheese. Process till mushrooms almost look like a paste.  Scrape down sides and process till well combined.

Put in jars and cool to room temp and put in refrigerator.  It will keep for about a week.

I served it with homemade crackers but it tastes really good with cucumbers.


+alternately, you can use any combination of mushrooms or even dried mushrooms! If using dried mushrooms, reserve water used to hydrate the mushrooms and strain it. Add a glug of mushroom water with white wine and reduce to more than half.

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